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MCMS and MPHS band students came together last week for a holiday performance. You can see video of their performance here.
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Winter Holidays are December 23 through January 6 for students. Students return on Tuesday, January 7. Teachers have a professional learning day on Monday, January 6.
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 The ornament and tree pictured above are from TGScott Elementary School Media Center.
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Mrs. Johnnie Skelton, KBS Art Teacher, was recognized for her dedication to elementary art education at December's Board of Education meeting. Mrs. Skelton was incorrectly identified in last week's Monroe Messages. We regret the error.
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A Message from Monroe County Schools Nurses: Choosing Safe Toys this Christmas
Millions of toys are out there, and hundreds of new ones hit the stores each year. Toys are supposed to be fun and are an important part of any child's development. But each year, scores of kids are treated in hospital emergency departments for toy-related injuries. Choking is a particular risk for kids ages 3 or younger, because they tend to put objects in their mouths.
Manufacturers follow certain guidelines and label most new toys for specific age groups. But perhaps the most important thing a parent can do is to supervise play.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) closely monitors and regulates toys. Any toys made in - or imported into - the United States after 1995 must comply with CPSC standards.
Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind when toy-shopping:
- Toys made of fabric should be labeled as flame resistant or flame retardant.
- Stuffed toys should be washable.
- Painted toys should be covered with lead-free paint.
- Art materials should say nontoxic.
- Crayons and paints should say ASTM D-4236 on the package, which means that they've been evaluated by the American Society for Testing and Materials.
Steer clear of older toys, even hand-me-downs from friends and family. Those toys might have sentimental value and are certainly cost-effective, but they may not meet current safety standards and may be so worn from play that they can break and become hazardous.
And make sure a toy isn't too loud for your child. The noise of some rattles, squeak toys, and musical or electronic toys can be as loud as a car horn - even louder if a child holds it directly to the ears - and can contribute to hearing damage.
Source:http://www.KidsHealth.org
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KBS Parent Lunch & Learn on Reading
Parents at KBS participated in this month's Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, December 18, 2013. Parents and Care Givers received training from Assistant Principal, Joanne Binns, and Instructional Coach, Charita Brown, on how to increase your child's reading fluency and comprehension.
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MCMS Thanks Those Who Give This Season
From Alison Mitchell,
MCMS Counselor
This is a SHOUT OUT to the following teachers/staff/student who helped sponsor 33 of our backpack buddies for Christmas.
I also want to give Brock Hulsey and his family, church, and friends a shout out for sponsoring several students for Christmas! Your generosity is appreciated and the warmth of your giving will live forever in these kids' hearts! THANK YOU!
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 | Kindergarten Sings Rockin' in My School Shoes |
HES Students Love Their School Shoes
Click on the video link above to see HES Kindergarteners share their favorite "Pete the Cat" song.
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MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER
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Your Opportunities to Provide Input on 2014-2015 Elementary School Zones
The Monroe County Board of Education is taking input regarding the 2014-2015 elementary zones through an online survey as well as a public hearing scheduled for January 7 at the Central Office Auditorium at 7 p.m. Please travel to Monroe County Schools 2014-2015 Proposed Elementary School Zones Website to review the two proposals as well as provide input through a survey which will be available through the Christmas Holidays. Full size maps are on site at Central Office at 25 Brooklyn Avenue for your review. Paper copies of the survey are also available there. Monroe County Board of Education will hold an Elementary Zoning for 2014-2015 Hearing on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 at 7 p.m. in the Central Office Auditorium. The agenda for the meeting as well as guidance for those wishing to address the board are found here. The Board of Education welcomes input as time allows. Speakers wishing to address the Board of Education must register prior to the meeting with the understanding that statements are limited to three minutes. The Board Chair will call on speakers, and all are asked to address the Board of Education with diplomacy and civility. Profanity, defamatory, and rude remarks will not be allowed. Reasons for re-zoning the elementary attendance zones - To increase the student population at KBSES and SEHES better utilizing all elementary schools.
- To maintain or enhance student diversification at each school mirroring system demographics.
- To maximize county-wide current and anticipated growth patterns.
- To create more efficient elementary zones for transportation.
- To develop a plan which extends the time before re-zoning would need to be revisited.
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MCMS Choral Concert of Joy and Cheer
Under the direction of Mrs LeaAnne Walters, the Monroe County Middle School Chorus presented holiday songs to friends and family.
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MP Family Gives to KidsYuleLove
Pictured are MP seniors who participated in the KidsYuleLove Assembly last week. Mary Persons High School students and teachers raised funds and brought in toys for needy Middle Georgia families.
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 Hubbard Elem Science Fair Hubbard Elementary School held a schoolwide Science Fair. Over 100 projects were entered in the science fair this year! The students worked hard and learned so much about science through this activity!
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 TGScott Students Make Holiday Cards
Mrs. Judy LaPish's class recently made holiday cards for the Reindeer Gang in Macon to be distributed to the Summerhill Senior Living Community in Perry.
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Christmas to Remember for KBS Performers
Second graders from K. B. Sutton performed their annual "A December to Remember" choral Christmas celebration this past Thursday, December 12. If parents and guests were not in the holiday spirit before the show, they were definitely in the spirit afterwards! Students sang and danced to great holiday tunes arranged by John Jacobson and Mac Huff including A December to Remember, Don't Wait/What's the Hurry?, Feliz Navidad, Rock Around the Jingle Bells, Believe, A December to Remember and Hot Chocolate. The program was directed by K.B. S. music teacher, Mrs. Sandy Watson.
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Hubbard Elem Builds for Kids Success
Mrs. Kimberlie Harris' fourth grade class is using the wellness initiative with HealthMPowers, which is implementing the BOKS (Build our Kids' Success) program and is sponsored by Reebok. The program tries to ensure at least 30 minutes of activity for students daily inclusive of explicit exercise, integration with curriculum and brain breaks throughout the day. The class received hula hoops, soccer balls, regular balls, wristbands, banners, first aid kids, family fitness bag packs, pedometers and polar watches to help implement the program.
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 | Back Row (L-R) Marquez Penamon, Mr. Stroud, Michael Brown, and Landon Lovell Front Row (L-R) Blake Griffin, Amber Conwell, and Kinsey Rowland. |
MCAC Guest Speakers Share Advice
By MCAC Students Michael Brown, Shakayia Whatley, and Kinsey Rowland
Mr. Julius Stroud spoke to MCAC students and gave them advice and words of encouragement. Mr. Stroud is strongly motivated by four things: God, his strong belief in education, family, and good people surrounding him. He said that he was lucky enough to have people around him who were willing to provide him with the tough love he needed to thrive and be successful. From a young age, Mr. Stroud was interested in many things. He knew he wanted to be able to help people and motivate kids and young adults to reach for their dreams. He wanted to let them know that with hard work, dreams are attainable. People often ask him how much he makes and he likes to tell them "It's not what you make; it's what you do with what you make" and "Always ask yourself why you want to do a certain thing" Your education and your job are important, so do your best to be successful in life. Mr. Stroud taught the students to prepare for your life and your future now. "Be prepared for the future before the future becomes your present. Always expect the best and know that you will succeed. This is your life, be great and make it the best life you can."
On December 19th, Mr. Kevin Yancey, Assistant Principal of the Monroe County Middle School , stopped by the Achievement Center to share an inspirational message with the student body. Mr. Yancey spoke of his various transitions in life, including his time as a youth in the small town of Ft. Valley, all the way to his current position of administrator. Mr. Yancey encouraged all of the students to continually evaluate their current positions in life and to always be ready to ask questions of themselves regarding whether or not they are realizing their full potential.
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A Message from Counselors:
Building Your Child's Character: Challenges and Solutions
We live in a time when teaching our children to be virtuous is especially challenging. Youngsters are surrounded by political sound-bites; outlandish promises from advertisers; and television programming and films filled with lying, gratuitous violence and sex as entertainment. As a parent, you might feel weary and overwhelmed as you try to help your children develop virtues such as honesty, respect for themselves and others, humility, courage and a generous rather than greedy heart. You're not alone. The challenge of helping humans develop high moral character has perplexed philosophers, psychologists and theologians for centuries. Children are born with unique temperaments, needs and gifts. Some find it much easier to share their toys than others. Some feel horrible when they lie, while others seem to delight in deception. Some are timid; others show amazing courage and tenacity. But, no matter where children are born on these continuum, they have the potential to develop good character and become positive contributors to society. In fact, Aristotle, who wrote of such things about 350 BC, believed humans were born to become virtuous, mature adults -- to be pillars of virtue for those younger or less developed than we are. And Immanuel Kant, writing some 2,000 years later, added his view that for an act to be truly virtuous, it had to be hard for us to do; it couldn't just come naturally. Over the years we've had many parents ask us how to help their children develop positive personal qualities. When it comes to character development, there is no more foolish philosophy than the old saying, "Do as I say, not as I do." Along with Aristotle, we believe your children first need to see virtue in action in order to try out their virtue-wings. Parents, relatives, siblings and childcare providers give children their first glimpses of courage, honesty, generosity, fairness and respect. It's not enough for your children to see you and other important adults and peers behaving virtuously. They also need encouragement, praise and character feedback. Encouragement: You can encourage your children with words or simply by showing faith in their positive potential. You can also actively notice your children's behavior when they do something positive. For example, when you see your daughter share her toys with another child, you might just say, "Hey, I noticed you let Janie play with your special toy." You don't even need to follow that comment up with praise, because just the fact that you noticed will have an effect. A basic behavioral principle is this: Children will repeat actions that get them attention from their parents. What this means is that we need to worry more about catching our children doing something right than doing something wrong. Continue reading the full article here http://www.ascaschoolcounselor.org/article_content.asp?edition=91§ion=145&article=1229
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Monroe County School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or sex in its employment practices, student programs and dealings with the public. It is the policy of the Board of Education to comply fully with the requirements of Title VI, Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act and all accompanying regulations. As a result, the following people have been appointed to oversee specific areas. Title II, Adult 504, Adult Title IX Dr. Mike Hickman 25 Brooklyn Avenue, Forsyth, GA 31029 478-994-2031 Student and Athletic Title IX Jackson Daniel 25 Brooklyn Avenue, Forsyth, GA 31029 478-994-2031 Student 504 Lisa Allred 433 Highway 41 South, Forsyth, GA 31029 Monroe County School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or sex in its employment practices, student programs and dealings with the public. It is the policy of the Board of Education to comply fully with the requirements of Title VI, Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act and all accompanying regulations. As a result, the following people have been appointed to oversee specific areas. Title II, Adult 504, Adult Title IX Dr. Mike Hickman 25 Brooklyn Avenue, Forsyth, GA 31029 478-994-2031 Student and Athletic Title IX Jackson Daniel 25 Brooklyn Avenue, Forsyth, GA 31029 478-994-2031 Student 504 Lisa Allred 433 Highway 41 South, Forsyth, GA 31029 478-994-2031 Any employee, student, applicant for employment, parent or other person who believes he or she has been discriminated against or harassed in violation of the above areas must make a complaint in accordance with the procedures outlined in Board Policy GAAA. Copyright 2013.
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